The morons on the Right think the answer to violence in America is to arm more people with guns. The shooting in Aurora, Colorado at the Batman movie premiere is a glaring example of why severe gun control is needed. Everyone beLIEves they can carry a gun. What if someone else had a gun and started shooting in the chaos of that smoke-filled theater. Do we need 40 dead and 100-plus wounded? Twelve or more dead and 50 wounded is too many. The punk had four weapons, one being an assault rifle, tear gas, and a bullet-proof vest. The 2nd Amendment does not apply to every American citizen, unless you are in a militia. Those who love their guns and that 2nd Amendment overlook the militia part. Our founding fathers are most likely turning over in their graves with the direction the Republicans are taking this nation. Our nation is destroying itself through laws that are supposed to protect us. We as a nation — well our politicians on the Right care more about war and the world, than our own people at home. We need to fix our problems before we solve the world’s. Our first fix should be gun control. I’m sure the hate mail will come rolling in if this gets published. So be it. It’s still America, and free speech reigns supreme. Read the 2nd Amendment. Rather, I’ll include it for you all to read. “A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”
The right of the people to keep and bear arms applies to ONLY those people who are in the militias — NOT every Tom, Dick Cheney, Harry Reid, Jared Loughner, James Holmes, or whoever.
Jason Llewellyn
Chandler
Arizona Willie posted at 9:25 am on Fri, Jul 27, 2012.
Mr. Llewellyn, at the time the 2nd Amendment was written, the militia was every able bodied male.
Our leaders at that time saw the need for the populace to be armed to protect themselves against GOVERNMENT.
And unarmed individual is a serf.
We have seen time and time again how governments can oppress their citizens.
When citizens have no means to effectively resist oppression it WILL happen because power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
It is true that citizens don't need AR-17's to kill rabbits or deer.
Obama said only the military needs weapons like that.
But, if only the military has those weapons then the people who control the military have a tremendous advantage over those they might / would oppress.
A 22 rifle is at an extreme disadvantage up against a dictators troop armed with the AK-17'S.
So, the people need to have arms as good as the potentially oppressive government has.
This Liberal wants to stay free to continue being a Liberal instead of being subject to a right wing dictator. There has NEVER been a Liberal dictator.
VofReason posted at 12:17 pm on Fri, Jul 27, 2012.
Yes and now we know what the moron on the left think also. Maybe this writer should think about what would have happened had a legally armed person in the crowd took this fool out after the first few rounds were fired. Then there may be fewer dead and injured, one less fool in the world and no need for the sham that will surely be the trial for this obviously guilty person. Just wait for it to draw out for years (ala Jared Loughner- another obviously guilty) and an insanity plea. Question for the "deep thinking" author, who is going to save you and your family if some armed fool breaks into your house with intent to harm? Remember police inevitably get to the scene after a crime is perpetrated. Think about that for a little while
YPAFI posted at 12:29 pm on Fri, Jul 27, 2012.
I don’t even know where to start on this one…
What if someone in the crowd had a gun and shot this guy dead as soon as he shot the first few rounds? Much more death and mayhem could have been avoided, that’s what. Maybe you feel comfortable being a sheep and hiding amongst the herd hoping you are not one of the ones picked off by the wolf, but not me.
Your reading comprehension is sorely lacking when you argue that only a militia member has the right to bear arms. I would have thought that the part after the comma “the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed” was pretty self explanatory. It does not qualify that statement by saying the right of the people in a militia to keep and bear arms…. This has been discussed by former District Court Judge St. George Tucker who has been cited in over 40 Supreme Court cases.
Enacting ridiculously strict gun laws will not make the average citizen safer. Do you really think criminals are going to abide by the new laws? Do they abide by the current laws? Because last time I checked it is not legal to just start shooting people on a whim. “Laws that forbid the carrying of arms disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes” - Thomas Jefferson
Free speech does reign supreme, and that means you are entitled to say what you want, even if it has no basis in fact.
Engaged Voter posted at 1:09 pm on Fri, Jul 27, 2012.
"The right of the people to keep and bear arms applies to ONLY those people who are in the militias"
It appears Jason Llewellyn does not understand what the term militia means...this is NOT the equivalent of our government controlled armed forces. A citizen's militia is just that, a MILITIA of CITIZENS. When these words were first written into the 2nd Amendment, ALL citizens were de facto militia members.
What next? Will the author try and tell us our country was founded on Judeo/Christian values? Or claim the Holocaust never happened?
Be wary of those who would re-write history to back their agendas.
chuckles3 posted at 2:48 pm on Fri, Jul 27, 2012.
Any letter that begins with the phrase "the morons on the..." is usually written by a moron. A moron who doesn't quite understand the First Amendment, let alone the Second.
His answer is "severe gun control." Yep, a real Mensa answer right there.
mrconservative posted at 4:54 pm on Fri, Jul 27, 2012.
"The right of the PEOPLE to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."
Sounds pretty clear to me.
"Will the author try and tell us our country was founded on Judeo/Christian values?"
Actually, EV, it was. This country was organized because our Founding Fathers wanted to have freedom of religion, free from the Church of England leaders. Whetheryou believe it or not, our fathers were Christians.That's just a fact.
I suggest you follow Mako’s advice: “A man who speaks only the truth has nothing to fear.” (Monk episode, “Mr. Monk vs. the Cobra”, Season 3)
And don’t you DARE suggest that I don’t speak the truth. Because I do. A matter like this is not worth lying about.
Dale Whiting posted at 5:31 pm on Fri, Jul 27, 2012.
Engaged Voter,
The phrase is not just "militia' but is "well regulated militia." The citizen militias you appear to describe are not regulated! Er go, the Second Ammendment might not apply to them! Ever thought about that?
Dale Whiting posted at 5:35 pm on Fri, Jul 27, 2012.
P.S. to Jason,
I know that the editors pick the headline. Seldom would they pay attention to those I suggested when I wrote in. But assuming you agree with this choice of words, i.e.
The answer to violence is not more violence" didn't we as a nation answer the violence of Pearl Harbor and of 9-11 with more violence? As I recall, many of us citizens believe that we are a Christian nation. Didn't Christ preach to turn the other cheek and return good when receiving evil?
chatmandu002 posted at 10:37 pm on Fri, Jul 27, 2012.
Jason,
Morons really? Takes one to know one..... LOL.
Arizona Willie posted at 9:37 am on Sat, Jul 28, 2012.
In these discussion there are always several people who say " If some one in the crowd had been armed this guy would never have shot so many people ".
How do they know there wasn't somebody in the crowd with a gun?
Among 500 or so people almost surely someone was packing.
But they had the good sense not to open fire in that situation.
The movie was still going, it was dark, people were screaming and running everywhere, so the odds were just as good they would've hit an innocent person instead of hitting the bad guy.
I'm not anti-gun – – – but there are places and situations where being armed doesn't really help. This was one of them.
There is very little a person armed with a handgun could have done against this individual who was completely dressed in body armor.
onerebel posted at 12:46 pm on Sat, Jul 28, 2012.
" The 2nd Amendment does not apply to every American citizen, unless you are in a militia." So Jason is sure our Founding Fathers did not want citizens armed? No freeman shall be debarred the use of arms.
Thomas Jefferson
Firearms are second only to the Constitution in importance; they are the peoples' liberty's teeth.
George Washington
The Constitution shall never be construed to prevent the people of the United States, who are peaceable citizens, from keeping their own arms..."
-- Samuel Adams
Nice try Jason, but you get an F in American History !
wflinn posted at 1:29 pm on Sun, Jul 29, 2012.
Well - another one (or two) who doesn't understand the 2nd Amendment. The 2nd Amendment was ruled a protection of an INDIVIDUAL right by the Supreme Court, via DC versus Heller and Chicago versus McDonald. The "A well regulated militia..." clause is not the declaratory clause of the amendment. "...the right of the people to keep and bear arms.." is the declaratory clause. Look it up, and next time, do your homework before you post such nonsense.
And for the person who made the comment about well regulated militias: you need to study your history. "well regulated" meant well trained, not legislated.
And as to the author thinking that people who don't believe as he/she/it being morons, then I suggest you also go back and read the 1st Amendment as well. But then again, that is a typical statement coming from the liberals who believe in "love and peace, and tolerance" right?
Engaged Voter posted at 11:09 am on Mon, Jul 30, 2012.
"Whetheryou believe it or not, our fathers were Christians.That's just a fact."
Another lie from the weasel. How surprising.
"And don’t you DARE suggest that I don’t speak the truth."
I don't have to; the actual TRUTH exposes your lies for what they are. Here are how some of our Founding Fathers ACTUALLY felt about the Christian religion:
James Madison - "During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity been on trial. What has been its fruits? More or less, in all places, pride and indolence in the clergy; ignorance and servility in the laity; in both, superstition, bigotry and persecution."
Thomas Jefferson - "And the day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the supreme being as his father in the womb of a virgin will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter."
John Adams - "I almost shudder at the thought of alluding to the most fatal example of the abuses of grief which the history of mankind has preserved-- the Cross. Consider what calamities that engine of grief has produced!"
Benjamin Franklin - "I have found Christian dogma unintelligible. Early in life I absented myself from Christian assemblies.", "The way to see by Faith is to shut the eye of Reason."
Thomas Paine - "What is it the New Testament teaches us? To believe that the Almighty committed debauchery with a woman engaged to be married; and the belief of this debauchery is called faith."
"A matter like this is not worth lying about."
Then stop lying about it.
Engaged Voter posted at 11:19 am on Mon, Jul 30, 2012.
"The phrase is not just "militia' but is "well regulated militia." The citizen militias you appear to describe are not regulated! Er go, the Second Ammendment might not apply to them! Ever thought about that?"
Willie - Not regulated? Says who? Some of them are nicely organized and well regulated. If you mean GOVERNMENT regulated, you're right, BUT SINCE THAT IS NOT A REQUIREMENT... (read the 2nd Amendment again, slowly this time).
Engaged Voter posted at 11:20 am on Mon, Jul 30, 2012.
Sorry Willie, I meant Dale.
Also Dale, ergo is one word. ;)
VofReason posted at 2:02 pm on Mon, Jul 30, 2012.
I was this close to giving Enraged Voter some props here for the gun rights statements. However, it was spoiled when foolishly naming the founding fathers as something other then mostly Christian men. EV must have a high degree of refusal to see reality- In God we trust on our money (must have been an oversight?), ten commandments on Government buildings, hand on the Bible to swear into office? Those sneaky Christinas, they must have pulled the wool over everyone's eyes.
Engaged Voter posted at 3:56 pm on Mon, Jul 30, 2012.
Poor VoReason...he should probably take that word, Reason, out of his psuedonym, given his irrational rantings.
"naming the founding fathers as something other then mostly Christian men."
And backing up the claim with evidence...you forgot that part. ;)
"EV must have a high degree of refusal to see reality"
Says the person with a faith-based worldview. Are you trying to be funny?
"In God we trust on our money (must have been an oversight?)"
Or put there generations after the Founding Fathers died?
Not on our paper currency until 1954...same with the Pledge.
(did you nap through American History class?)
"ten commandments on Government buildings"
LOL!!! How ignorant! Those were MOVIE ADVERTISEMENTS for the Heston movie The Ten Commandments - THAT IS WHERE THOSE CAME FROM!
"hand on the Bible to swear into office"
No longer a requirement, anymore than using a Koran is.
"they must have pulled the wool over everyone's eyes"
SOMEONE has certainly had the wool over their eyes...but it doesn't appear anyone put it there. Willful ignorance is disgusting.